It is generally known that women's shoes with heel heights of one inch and above cause distortions of the wearer's feet during wear which, in turn, over a period of wear, are the cause of bunions, tailor's bunions, hammertoes and other foot problems. This is largely due to a close fit in the toe box of conventional shoes which have heels of above one inch and the tendency of the feet in their normal wear to be urged into their toe box so that the toe spaces of the shoes constrict the toes of the wearer.
Additionally, the alignment of the last is unnatural according to the alignment of the foot. The arch of the foot is not properly supported; the heel bone, metatarsal heads and toes are also not properly supported; the ball and flesh of the big toe have insufficient room; and usually the big toe is forced towards the second toe.
These problems are also prevalent to some degree in most other footwear. Various solutions have been proposed such as manufacturing shoes made from molds provided by the wearer so that the shoes are conformed to receive the wearer's heel and arch portions snugly while providing more room for the toes in the forward portion of the shoes. An example of such a shoe can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,240, of Osgood that issued Oct. 15, 1962, which discloses a woman's high-heeled shoe which is provided only with a strap across the toe portion. However, women's footwear which is custom made based on a mold of the foot is expensive, particularly when a number of such footwear are required which are suitable for specific pattern cuts for business and social attire. Accordingly, there is a need for footwear which will not cause deformation of the wearer's feet that leads to bunions, tailor's bunions, hammertoes and other foot problems. The greatest need, however, exists for women's high heeled shoes.